Binder.



No. 642,983. Patented Feb. 6, I900. H. H. HOFFMANN.

BINDER.

(Application filed Jan. 3, 1899.) (N Mo el.) 2 SheetsSheet zazveases' I ,57067 07' No. 642,983. Patented Feb. 6, I900. H. H. HUFFMANN.

B l N D E R.

(Application filed Jan. 3, 1899.)

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FFICE.

PATENT IIERMANN H. IIOFFMANN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BINDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 642,983, dated February 6, 1900.

Application filed January 3, 1899. Serial No. 700,897. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMANN H. Horn- MANN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Binders, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

The present invention relates to an improvement in binders, which, while adapted for use as a permanent binder for leaves, is preferably designed to vbe used in connection with flat-opening leaves, which may be readily removed and replaced by new ones, the binder being then firmly looked upon the leaves, forming a complete fiat-opening book. This form of binder may also be used as a transfer-binder for the storing away of leaves which have been filled. A binder of this general character was patented to me on the 22d day of September, 1896, No. 568,251, and in the statement of invention of the said patent I refer generally to the state of the art as it existed prior to the time of the filing of the application upon which said patent was granted and pointed out the difficulties theretofore existing in the use of said devices. In said patent I showed, described, and claimed a new form of temporary and transfer binder designed especially for flat-opening leaves, the

said binder consisting of the base member and a binding member having vertical movement relative to each other, with vertical casings located between said members and provided with recesses constructed to receive and protect the lateral projections formed on the rear side edges of the leaves to be inserted in the binder. The present invention is designed as an improvement upon thisand other similar hinders, the object especially being to simplify the apparatus and to provide a binder thermore, it has been proposed, as shown in Patent No. 553,678 to Huttenbach, of January 28, 1896, to provide a file or binder consisting of two covers, to one of which are secured cords or flexible chains which pass through recesses in the edges of the sheets to the front cover, the latter having recesses, cords being led from these recesses into a longitudin al groove formed parallel with and near the back edge of said cover. Handles are provided for pulling on these cords to draw the covers together and tighten the sheets.

The present invention is in certain respects also an improvement upon the last-mentioned patent, doing away with many of the defects existing therein and providing a binder in which there are no protruding posts, which are apt in use to scratch or mar the desk upon which the book is laid.

The invention consists in various matters hereinafter described, and referred to in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, Figure 1 is a perspective View of the binder as a whole, the top cover being slightly raised. Fig. 2 is an end perspective of the binder partly closed, with the top casing within which the upper ends of the flexible posts are stored away removed, one of said flexible posts being shown as extended and the other in the position it-would assume were the casing in proper position. Fig. 3 is a plan view with the top casing re moved, showing how the upper ends of the flexible posts are guided by each other. Fig. 4 is a sectional rear view with the casing in position, and Fig. 5 is a detail view of the combined locking-bar and guide for the upper ends of the flexible posts.

In the drawings, A and B represent upper and lower rigid metallic plates or back pieces, the former having screwed to it or otherwise secured a casing C, and the plates may be covered with leather and have covers I) attached thereto by flexible hinges, as is customary in this class of devices. These covers are only illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

E E represent flexible spiral posts, preferably coiled out of tempered fiat steel wire internally stiffened and firmly connected to the rigid bottom piece B by means of a solid core or plug of steel or other suitable mate- A and B, and at their other ends having a.

sliding pivotal engagement with horizontallyslotted lugs 3 4, secured to the plates. By this arrangement a rigid back is formed for the binder and the top and bottom piecesmay be separated or closed together practically within the limits of the slots 5 in the plates 3 and at. Thus by this arrangement both a minimum and maximum numberof leaves may be held in the same hinder, (the leaves being notched, as shown, to engage the posts,) although when a number of leaves less than the minimum height of the binder when closed is to be bound it is desirable in order to hold the leavessteady to provide a bow-spring 6, and this spring also prevents the top leaves from hanging to the posts when the binder is opened.

The casing or flanged plate 0, as above stated, is screwed to the upper plate A and is removable therefrom to allow of assembling the parts and when in position forms, with the plate A, a receptacle, the upper wall of which is the wall 7 of the flanged plate G, the flexible posts at their upper ends passing through openings in the plate A and being guided and deflected toward a horizontal position by the wall 7 of'the casing C.

The post-s are preferably of such length that when the back pieces A and Bare separated to the full extent allowed by the crossed rods F G their upper ends will be bent down toward a horizontal position, as shown in Fig. at, and the forcing of the upper member toward the lower will deflect more and more of the posts, so that all the free or unused portions of the posts will be stored away within the casing.

To look the binder in any desired position, I have provided a bar H, having slots 8- at each end, through which the posts pass, having, if desired, antifriction-rollers 9 to aid in guiding the posts. This bar has a central screw-threaded perforation 10, through which passes the screw 11, formed at one end to receive an instrument by which it may be manipulated and at the other end resting in a socket formed in the lug 12 on the plate A. It will be noticed that by turning the screw 11 the bar II will be adj usted along the screw and when drawn outwardly will cause one side of each slot 8 to bind against one sideof each post and prevent movement of the back piece A.

It will be understood that as far as the broad feature of this invention is concerned I do not wish to be limited to any particular means of locking the parts against movement, as other means may be desired. For example, along the exterior of each flexible post a notched flexible plate might be attached and dogs suitably operated might engage therewith.

As a convenient means of guiding the ends of the flexible posts past each other to prevent interference I have provided the locking-bar with an inclined rib 13, the ends of which extend close to the inner ends of the openings 8, and as the top of the rib 13 is adjacent the top wall of the casing when the latter is in position interference of the posts one with another is prevented.

To prevent the bulgingout of the posts at the points wherethey pass intothe-upper plate under thepressure of the force exerted in closing the binder, vertical guiding-pieces 14, secured to the upper plate, areprovided, the one to the right of one of the posts, the other to the left of the other post, and, as heretofore stated, the bow-spring 6 prevents the top leaves from hanging on these pieces at the top.

Various modifications and changes in the construction of the apparatus may be made without departing from the spirit of my in. vention.

I am aware of the patent to Huttenbach, before mentionedyand of other devices in which flexible cords are used to be wound up or pulled up to draw the parts of the binder together, but these are not to any extent antomatic, but positive means for grasping the ends must be provided, whereas in my device the operation of disposing of the free or un- ICO used portions of the flexible posts is entirely automatic when the top member is forced toward the lower member. To separate the parts for the insertion or removal of a leaf, it is only necessary to unlock them and draw up the top member, whileto collapse them all that has to be done is to apply pressure to the top member. The posts beingnormally vertical are tumbled and guided by the upper wall of the casing and stored therein.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. A binder having relatively-movable base and top members, flexible leaf-en gaging posts attached to one of'said members, and means carried by the other member for disposing of thefree ends of the posts, said leaf-engaging posts being of sufficient rigidity to assume a normal vertical position; substantially as described.

2. Abinderhavingrelatively-movable base andtop members, normally vertical flexible leaf-engaging posts extending between the same, one of said members being provided withmeanswhereby the free ends of the posts or thoseporti'ons not in use may be disposed of substantially as described.

3. Abinderhaving relatively-movable base and top members, normally vertical flexible leaf-engaging posts extending between the same, one of said members being provided with means for guiding and storing the free or unused portions of the posts; substantially as described.

4. A binder having relatively-movable top and bottom members, normally vertical flexible leaf-engaging posts secured at one end to one of said members, and passing through the other, and a casing secured to said other memher said casing being provided with means for tumbling, guiding and storing the free or unused portions of the flexible post-s; substantially as described.

5. A binder comprising relatively-movable rigid back pieces, normally vertical flexible spring-posts adapted to engage the leaves firmly connected to one of said back pieces and operatively engaged by the other to be deflected from vertical position as the backs are brought together; substantially as described.

6. A binder comprising relatively-movable rigid back pieces, normally vertical flexible spring-posts for engagement with the leaves firmly attached to one of said back pieces and so engaging the other as to be deflected and guided thereby as the back pieces are brought together; substantially as described.

7. A binder having relatively-movable back pieces, flexible leaf-en gaging posts extending between the same, one of said back pieces being provided with a wall or surface for deflecting the posts toward a horizontal position as the pieces move together, said posts being of sufflcient rigidity to assume a normally vertical position; substantially as described.

8. A binder havingrelatively-movable back pieces flexible leaf-engaging posts extending between the same, one of said back pieces being provided with a wall or surface for deflectin g the posts toward a horizontal position as the pieces move together, and having also a surface or wall for deflecting the ends past each other; substantially as described.

9. A binder having relatively-movable top and bottom members, one of said members forminga hollow casing, flexible posts passing through the lower wall of said casing and being guided and deflected by the upper wall thereof as the members are pressed together; substantially as described.

10. A binder having relatively movable back pieces, normally vertical spring leaf-engaging posts extending between the same, and means carried by one of said pieces for automatically disposing of the free'or unused portions of the posts, as the back pieces approach each other, and a locking-bar for engaging with the flexible posts; substantially as described.

11. A binder having relatively movable back pieces, normally vertical spring leaf-engaging posts extending between the same, one of said back pieces being provided with a wall or surface for deflecting the posts toward a horizontal position as the pieces move together, and a locking-bar for engagement with the flexible posts; substantially as described.

12. A binder having relatively movable back pieces, flexible leaf-engaging posts extending between the same, one of said back pieces being provided with a wall or surface for deflecting the posts toward a horizontal position as the pieces move together, and a locking-bar for engagement with the flexible posts; said locking-bar havinga deflecting-surface to guide the ends of the flexible posts past each other; substantially as described.

13. A binder having relativelymovable back pieces, flexible leaf-engaging posts extending between the same, one of said back pieces being provided with a wall or surface for deflecting the posts toward a horizontal position as the pieces move together, and a locking-bar for engagement with the flexible posts, said locking-bar having an inclined rib to deflect past each other the ends of the flexible posts; substantially as described.

lt. A binder having relatively-movable top and bottom members, one of said members being a hollow casin g, flexible vertical springposts passing into said casing and guided and deflected by the upper wall thereof as the members are pressed together; substantially as described.

15. A binder having relatively movable back pieces, and normally vertical independent flexible leaf-engaging posts extending between the members and adapted in the movement of the top and bottom pieces toward and from each other, to be automatically raised to vertical position or bent down toward a horizontal position.

16. A binder having relatively movable base and top members, independent flexible leaf-engaging posts attached to one of said members, said leaf-engaging posts being of sufflcient rigidity to retain a vertical position and means whereby the movement of the members toward each other causes the posts to assume a horizontal position; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HERMANN H. HOFFMANN.

Witnesses:

O. B. SIMs, GRANT ADLAND.

IIO 

